The subject matter herein relates generally to communication module adaptors.
Demand management systems, such as smart grid systems allow utility companies and/or consumers to control energy use and energy cost using smart electronic devices, such as home appliances, electronics, and the like. The smart grid provides technology and systems that allow utility companies and/or consumers to automatically manage energy use and cost. The smart grid system controls when and how the smart electronic devices are operated, such as to manage energy use more efficiently and allows the power companies to maintain grid stability.
Smart grid systems use communication modules coupled to the smart electronic devices via device connectors to control operation of the smart electronic devices. Conventional communication modules and device connectors have many competing standards that define the type of connections, the form factor of the connectors, the communication protocol, and the like. The communication modules are not interchangeable and a communication module manufactured in accordance with one specification is not useable with a smart electronic device manufactured according to a different specification. As a result, communication module manufacturers may not always support all smart electronic device interfaces for a given standard. As such, some smart electronic devices may be unable to connect to the smart grid in a given region.
A need remains for communication module adaptors that allow interconnection and intercommunication between different smart grid system components.